Associate Director, Site Alliances and Strategy

Summit Therapeutics; United States; Remote; USD 169,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Therapeutics seeks an Associate Director, Site Alliances and Strategy, remote in the United States. This senior role drives sponsor‑site collaboration, startup optimization, and cross‑functional alignment to enable scalable, efficient trials in oncology programs.

You will build external partnerships, develop metrics, and translate site insights into portfolio actions. A strong background in clinical operations and leadership is essential for success in a fast-paced, ambitious environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life science or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of clinical trial operations experience including site engagement and sponsor oversight.
• 3+ years in a site-facing clinical trial role (trial manager, CRA, or equivalent) preferred.
• Experience hiring, developing, or mentoring team members within a matrix.
• Experience building strategic relationships with sites, investigators, and external partners.
• Strong knowledge of ICH-GCP, health authority expectations, and inspection readiness.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25–30%.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes site alliance strategies with key institutions and investigators.
• Leads startup optimization with internal and site teams for faster execution and standardized processes.
• Serves as Clinical Operations liaison to resolve site issues, reduce burden, and improve performance.
• Partners with cross‑functional stakeholders to align site activities with study priorities.
• Identifies and onboards new sites to meet current and future portfolio needs.
• Develops KPIs, dashboards, and measures to evaluate site engagement and predictability.
• Contributes to portfolio planning, resource forecasting, and decision making.
• Supports efficiency initiatives and vendor optimization to improve quality and cost.

Skills

Site alliances

Clinical operations

Stakeholder management

ICH-GCP knowledge

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree equivalent (life science or related)

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Associate Director, Site Alliances and Strategy

Remote

About Summit:

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s team is inspired to touch and help change lives through Summit’s clinical studies in the field of oncology. Summit has multiple global Phase 3 clinical studies, including:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.

HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Overview of Role:

The Associate Director, Site Alliances and Strategy is responsible for developing and maintaining strategic relationships with select clinical trial sites, site networks, and emerging clinical research partners, while contributing to broader Clinical Operations strategy and operational improvement initiatives. This role supports high-quality trial execution, portfolio scalability, and organizational effectiveness by connecting site insights with internal planning, process optimization, performance management, and change implementation. The position serves as a key interface across external sites and internal cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring site engagement and operational strategies align with portfolio priorities, business needs, and inspection-ready trial conduct.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, brings strong clinical trial operations experience, and has a demonstrated ability to build trusted external relationships, influence across matrixed teams, and translate site insights into strategies that reduce burden, improve enrollment, and strengthen long‑term sponsor‑site partnerships.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Develops and executes site alliance strategies; Building and maintaining strong strategic relationships with key clinical institutions, investigators, research staff, and site leadership to strengthen sponsor‑site collaboration
• Leads start‑up optimization with internal and external site Study Start‑Up teams, driving faster, simpler execution through early engagement, MSAs, standardized budgets and contracts, and streamlined processes.
• Serves as a primary Clinical Operations interface and escalation point for site alliance matters, partnering with study teams, CROs, vendors, and functional leaders to resolve operational issues, reduce site burden, and identify opportunities to improve external partner performance and value.
• Partners with cross‑functional stakeholders, including Clinical Operations, Medical Affairs, Clinical Science, Regulatory, Quality, Data Management, Pharmacovigilance, and external partners, to align site engagement activities with study and Summit priorities.
• Develops approaches to identify, onboard, educate, and cultivate new sites that support current and future portfolio needs.
• Develops and monitors KPIs, dashboards, and relationship health measures to evaluate site engagement effectiveness, support data‑driven decisions, and improve operational predictability.
• Contributes site and network insights to portfolio planning, resource forecasting, and operational prioritization to support scalable, predictable study execution.
• Contributes to cross‑functional Clinical Operations strategy and transformation initiatives that improve study delivery, scalability, and execution excellence.
• Identifies opportunities to simplify clinical trial processes, improve site and patient experience, and streamline study activities across the clinical trial lifecycle.
• Identifies and advances process efficiencies, vendor optimization opportunities, and operational standardization initiatives; develops recommendations and business cases that improve quality, timelines, and cost effectiveness.
• Champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement, and may coach or mentor Clinical Operations colleagues supporting site alliance and strategic initiatives.
• All other duties as assigned.

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in life science, nursing, pharmacy, medical laboratory technology, or other health/medical‑related area required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of direct or indirect clinical trial operations experience, including clinical trial execution, site management, site engagement, or sponsor oversight responsibilities.
• 3+ years of experience in a site‑facing clinical trial role, such as trial manager, CRA, site engagement lead, or equivalent role strongly preferred.
• Experience hiring, developing, mentoring, or actively managing team members directly or through a matrixed structure preferred.
• Experience building and managing strategic relationships with clinical trial sites, site networks, investigators, and external research partners at both strategic and operational levels.
• Strong working knowledge of ICH‑GCP, health authority expectations, clinical trial conduct, sponsor oversight, and inspection readiness requirements.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, as required, to support site relationship management, sponsor oversight, and key business needs; anticipated travel up to 25–30%.

Preferred Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Strategic, solutions‑oriented professional who creates structure, sets direction, and drives execution in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
• Demonstrates sound judgment and operational leadership, with the ability to anticipate risks, establish priorities, and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Recognizes when risks to quality or delivery require timely escalation to strategy leadership and communicates the issue, potential impact, and recommended actions.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders, escalates key issues, and presents concise recommendations to leadership.
• Broad expertise across clinical trial operations, including site start‑up, enrollment, site and patient experience, sponsor oversight, and the drug development lifecycle.
• Ability to influence, build alignment, and support accountability across cross‑functional, matrixed, and external stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated ability to translate data, KPIs, and site insights into strategic recommendations and measurable operational improvements.

This is the pay for this position

Pay Transparency

$169,000 - $198,000 USD

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail] to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc.is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Summit Therapeutics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.